Rockbites: Nonprofit sponsors grand prize at music festival

newsarchive

June 2003 • Rockbites Alternative Daily

• back to June 2003 index

Nonprofit sponsors grand prize at music festival
30 June 2003

Southern California’s Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival, now in its ninth year for films, is hosting its third annual music festival component this September—combining the two art forms along the lines of the Austin (US) SXSW festival, the Lausanne (Switzerland) Underground Film & Music Festival, and the Saulieu (France) Cajun & Zydeco Music & Film Festival. If you haven’t heard of Temecula, that supports Chris Gore’s inclusion of the event as one of the ten best-kept-secret annual film festivals in his paperback Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide.
    This year Temecula attracted the sponsorship of the nonprofit Fender Museum of the Arts Foundation, who will award an unsigned band a 'Platinum Recording Package' that includes 160 hours of reserved recording time in the museum’s own 48-track digital studio, disc mastering services, and more. To enter, send in a tape or CD with three or more tracks, a photo, a bio, a band or artist description, a press kit, and a modest application fee. Check our link, below, for more info. The entry deadline is 30 July 2003.
    The recording-package prize is the latest pro-arts action by the foundation, which came together six years ago in Corona (near Los Angeles, California) with a mission to support arts education at a time when worldwide public and governmental support was rapidly dwindling. The economic downturn of the past few years, along with so much money now getting thrown at the symptoms of political and economic malfeasance (aka George W Bush versus the axis of evil), have deepened the problem.
    But, as Ernest L. Boyer (former president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching) has said, “Art is humanity’s most essential, most universal language. It is not a frill, but a necessary part of communication. The quality of civilization can be measured through its music, dance, drama, architecture, visual art, and literature.”
    Putting money toward that sentiment, a group of corporate sponsors had by 1998 raised enough funds for the Fender foundation to open a storefront in Corona housing music classrooms and offering free music education to students aged 7 through 17. More than 200 kids attended the first eight week course.
    One year ago the foundation opened its museum, a 33,000 square foot facility that boasts a 48-track digital recording studio, music classrooms, an outdoor performance amphitheatre, an art gallery, and a museum featuring a permanent exhibit that tracks the 50-year history of the Fender guitar and its influence on rock music. Now more than 5,000 students have taken free 8-week music courses at the facility, which also offers subsidized music education for adults. | Fender Museum of Music and the Arts | | Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival - call for entries | | Fender Musical Instruments Corp. | | Film/Music festivals list (partial) | | editorial on arts funding (from Hollywood Reporter) | | Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide | | top of page |

back to June 2003 index

today’s stories •

click for Rockbites Home
	Copyright © 1998 - 2001 M. Jason. All Rights Reserved. Rockbites is not for profit and supports human rights. “Rockbites” and “Alternative Daily” are service marks of Rockbites. All names are the property of their respective owners. Send your feedback or questions to feedback@rockbites.org Send your press releases to press@rockbites.org Rockbites Alternative Daily contact information